Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 549

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 549

Yoner looked at his friend with slight suspicion, but he couldn’t keep doing so for long.

Other undead began to slowly crawl out from within the forest.

“Spirit corruption? …Is it darkness element?”

Lee Han frowned and muttered.

Empire people thought that cold element spirits became active when the cold winter came, but that was only half true.

Winter was a season that awakened more diverse beings than one might think.

In regions where cold winds blew, wind element spirits appeared more frequently, and in mining areas, rock or metal element spirits would swagger around boldly.

And among them, the most troublesome case was undead.

Winter wasn’t symbolized only by cold or wind. Death was also among them.

Few things frightened Empire people more than risen undead hiding and wandering about in winter’s long nights.

Professor Thunderstep had naturally set up preventive measures to stop undead from reviving in the nearby forest, but there were always exceptions.

The spirit corruption before their eyes was one such existence.

An amorphous monster where spirits that had gone berserk or become violent due to the region’s strong mana flow had merged with other beings.

Since spirits were mixed in, it wasn’t a typical undead, so ordinary preventive methods didn’t work well.

Moreover, the corruption before them was one where darkness element spirits and undead had merged together.

Most spirits originally disliked undead and wouldn’t approach them even when going berserk, so…

“Darkness element spirits?!”

Priest Siana widened her eyes in amazement.

Lightning element spirits were rare enough to be hard to see, but darkness element ones were even rarer.

“I understand it’s fascinating, but I don’t think now is the time!”

Yoner urgently shouted while pulling out potions from inside.

The pitch-black writhing spirit corruptions were gradually crawling out from the forest.

■■!

■■■■…

Among the spirit corruptions, some showed interest in the cabin while others fought each other.

A beetle-shaped spirit corruption the size of a full-grown pig attacked a nearby corruption, and that corruption also fought back by swinging its hind legs.

“Here, ignition potion!”

“Thank you! Meikin!”

Yoner handed the ignition potion he usually carried for self-defense to Priest Siana.

This potion that burned fiercely when the flask broke and contacted air was useful anywhere in Einroguard.

Especially darkness spirit corruptions should be weak to elements like fire and light.

“Uh, Yoner? What about me?”

Lee Han tilted his head while holding his staff and casting enhancement spells on his two friends.

Yoner had naturally skipped over Lee Han without giving him any.

“Huh? …Ah! Here!”

Yoner belatedly remembered that Lee Han could also use ignition potions.

Since his friend fought well on his own, the thought that he might need potions didn’t even occur to him.

“…”

“I was… I was going to give you one… really.”

“Sure. Thanks.”

Lee Han turned his gaze to the window outside the cabin.

The number of corruptions with different appearances was gradually increasing. At this level, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a corruption horde.

‘This doesn’t seem like a level that would occur by coincidence. Could there be some senior who researched darkness elements and just dumped them in the forest?’

If that were the case, Lee Han planned to show the fury of underclassmen, senior or not.

They were already struggling to death, so what kind of nuisance was this.

And when such commotion occurred, first-years always suffered the most damage.

Upperclassmen at Einroguard had the ability to easily get themselves out even when all sorts of ferocious monsters passed through the dormitory or main building courtyard.

“Let’s hold out inside until the professor comes.”

“Will the professor come?”

“If he doesn’t come, his cabin will be destroyed, so he’ll come.”

“…”

“…”

The two almost asked ‘Wardanaz, did you fight with the professor?’ but held back.

Regardless of Lee Han’s words, holding out inside was strategically the right choice.

With mindless monsters roaming around in hordes outside, sticking their faces out wasn’t wise behavior.

The standard approach was to move slowly and carefully after the monster horde moved elsewhere.

■■■■■…!

“!”

The squirrel-shaped spirit that had come to play pranks on the cabin earlier but retreated due to the repelling decoction appeared again.

The squirrel spirit seemed frightened as corruptions roamed around and tried to keep them at bay by blooming snowflakes in all directions.

“No!”

“Then…!”

The students sighed at the sight.

No matter how scared it was, drawing attention like that in front of corruptions.

It was a foolish act.

Indeed, the darkness spirit corruptions that had been acting separately instantly recognized the squirrel spirit and began chasing it.

“We need to help.”

Yoner carefully cracked open the cabin door and prepared to go out.

By slightly touching the magic circle laid around this area, he could let the squirrel spirit inside.

“That’s right. Spirits don’t forget kindness. If we save it, it will surely repay us.”

Lee Han muttered while following his friends out to the vegetable garden.

Priest Siana thought she might have heard a voice saying ‘Can we really trust spirits? These ungrateful bastards?’ but decided to pretend she didn’t hear it.

“Lee Han. I’ll do it.”

Yoner sensed that Lee Han had accumulated a lot against spirits and tried to send him back.

If the squirrel spirit they rescued bit Lee Han’s hand or something, it might truly be irreversible.

In the future, an archmage with titles like 【Spirit Subjugator】 or 【Spirit Hater】 might be born…

“No. Since I set it up, it’s faster for me to help. I’ll stop the flow briefly, can you provide cover?”

“Lee Han. Even if that spirit comes in and shows violent behavior, that’s because of the current situation…”

“What are you talking about?”

Lee Han looked at Yoner incredulously.

In a situation where he needed to concentrate and briefly stop the magic circle to let the spirit inside, Yoner was saying something else.

“…It’s nothing. I’m ready!”

Whooooom-

Yoner, who was covering Lee Han with his staff and ignition potion, was amazed by the change in the magic circle.

To so easily stop a magic circle that was large and complex enough to cover this entire area.

It required not only completely understanding the magic circle’s structure but also being able to freely manipulate the flow by inserting one’s own mana.

The friend who had been grumbling about spirits just moments ago felt anew like a magical genius worthy of being counted among the Empire’s best.

Priest Siana must have thought the same, as she was gazing at the magic circle with admiring eyes.

“Come in!”

Lee Han shouted to the squirrel spirit while forcibly suppressing the magic circle.

The squirrel spirit that had been constantly chased belatedly heard Lee Han’s voice and turned its gaze toward the cabin.

“This way!”

“Please come quickly!”

Yoner and Priest Siana also gestured for it to come quickly.

When the squirrel spirit started running hurriedly, the two breathed sighs of relief.

Lee Han muttered.

“Even when its life is in danger, it ignores me when I tell it to come.”

“…No, no. It must have been a coincidence.”

“But he didn’t come when Wardanaz called him…”

“Priest Siana…!”

Yoner looked resentfully at Priest Siana who was suddenly interfering with their work.

However, Priest Siana had her own thoughts.

“But I think it would actually be worse if we forced ourselves to take his side. Honestly, it is a bit ungrateful.”

“That’s true, but…”

“Guys. I’m really okay.”

Lee Han sighed and looked at his friends.

Of course, the spirits were too cold compared to the sincerity Lee Han showed them, but Lee Han wasn’t so fragile as to keep worrying about it.

Even if the spirits didn’t like Lee Han, what could he do about it?

Lee Han had to walk his own path.

Rather, it was more painful that his friends kept worrying about him like this.

“The spirits might be a bit wary of me. So don’t worry about it so much.”

“Sorry. Lee Han.”

Yoner looked at Lee Han with an apologetic expression.

He had made his friend more uncomfortable by trying to look out for him unnecessarily.

“No. There’s nothing to apologize for. Just be honest with me.”

“Okay. I will.”

Priest Siana, who had been listening to their conversation, quietly asked Yoner.

“So it’s true that it didn’t come when he called earlier, right?”

“Yeah.”

At Yoner’s words that drove the nail in, Lee Han’s expression wavered slightly.

Thud-

Meanwhile, the squirrel spirit passed through the magic circle. Lee Han quickly activated the magic circle again.

The corrupted beings chased the squirrel spirit but then circled around, letting out strange cries at the instinctively felt ominous energy.

“Don’t be afraid. We’re not your enemies.”

“That’s right. Look.”

Yoner and Priest Siana spread both hands as if to soothe the frightened squirrel spirit.

Frightened spirits were often more dangerous. If handled wrong, they would go berserk and cause a rampage.

-…

The squirrel spirit looked around to assess the situation, then climbed up Lee Han’s ankle and stopped at his wrist.

Then it rubbed its head as if to say thank you.

“…????”

“L-Lee Han!”

“This is a miracle!”

“Priest Siana…”

“A m-miracle is… not quite, but half a miracle…?”

Lee Han couldn’t hear their conversation. He could only see the squirrel spirit rubbing its head against him.

“Lee Han… you’re not crying, are you?”

“…No. Dust got in my eyes.”

The basilisk inside his sleeve made a hissing sound.

It didn’t like Lee Han being fond of the ungrateful spirits at all.

Regardless, the squirrel spirit stuck to Lee Han and wouldn’t leave.

“Wardanaz. I think we need to go inside. Over there…”

Priest Siana called Lee Han and pointed forward.

Deep in the forest, corrupted beings could be seen moving around, perhaps chasing other spirits.

For now, the corrupted beings weren’t coming inside, but if more gathered and their numbers increased, there might be one that would break through recklessly like before.

“Are there other spirits being chased?”

“Well? Probably so.”

“Let’s help them.”

“…Huh? What?”

Priest Siana was flustered.

The situation now was a bit different from before.

Earlier, they had opened the magic circle by surprise when the nearby corrupted beings had no particular interest in the three of them, but now the corrupted beings were crying out and glaring at the cabin.

The situation had become much more dangerous than before.

“I can block this much. Trust me. Priest Siana.”

“I do trust you, but… aren’t you pushing yourself too hard?”

“No. It’s enough. And I can’t just watch innocent spirits get reverse summoned by corrupted beings.”

The squirrel spirit was moved and clung to Lee Han.

“…”

“…Yes… I’ll get ready.”

* * *

Professor Thunderstep saw the suddenly appeared corrupted beings and shouted with irritation.

“Get-lost!”

When he blew the magic horn, the corrupted beings spat out bodily fluids and shrank.

“By my ancestors’ beards, I swear if the students summoned these, I’ll make them pay!”

The dwarf professor rode a summoned spirit deer and moved quickly.

With so many cabins built within the school grounds, there was no time to delay.

Professor Thunderstep, who was running along the ridge checking the cabins in the three forests, belatedly remembered his 1st year disciples.

‘Oh no!’

The disciples’ cabin located on the opposite side was also close to the forest, so it was most likely to be swept up first when something like this happened.

‘No. There’s a magic circle and Wardanaz is there.’

Thinking of Wardanaz made him feel much more reassured. Professor Thunderstep turned the spirit deer around and hurried as if flying.

‘As expected…’

The cabin came into view from afar. Seeing that it was intact, it was definitely fine…

Crackle crackle crackle…

“…Did a war break out?!”

Professor Thunderstep was truly shocked to see the clearing in front of the cabin had become a miserable ruined crater as if it had been attacked.

Was there any reason to fight so fiercely??

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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